It is frequently necessary to protect conductor splices from the environment in order that they may continue to function properly for a life-time that may extend to several tens of years. Thus, the splice may be encapsulated by some means, preferably in a fashion that allows easy access to the splice (known as re-entry) for repair or rearrangement of conductors without destroying the original encapsulation.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,809 patent covered a splice case for sealing a conductor splice comprising a splice case for encapsulating a conductor splice, which comprises a first hollow part; a second part that can be positioned adjacent the first part such that the first and second parts together define an enclosed space; a sealing material having a cone penetration value from 100-350 (10.sup.-1 mm) and an ultimate elongation of at least 200%, the sealing material being within the first hollow part; and a spring for forcing the first and second parts together thereby putting the sealing material under compression; the first part and/or the second part having a deformable surface, and the spring being so shaped as to cause said surface to be deformed towards the sealing material thereby putting the sealing material under compression.
The patent also covered a splice case comprising a splice case for encapsulating a conductor splice, which comprises a first hollow part; a second part that can be positioned adjacent the first part, such that the first or second parts together define an enclosed space; a second material having a cone penetration value from 100-350 (10.sup.-1 mm) and an ultimate elongation of at least 200%, the sealing material being within the first hollow part; and a spring for forcing the first and second parts together thereby putting the sealing material under compression, the spring comprising a resilient elongate member shaped as at least three interconnected segments each segment being of re-entrant shape and comprising a first portion that can bear against a surface of the first part, a second portion that can bear against a surface of the second part, and a third portion that interconnects the first and second portions.
I have now discovered further improvements in those splice cases can be made to seal a greater plurality of wires.